Science of Shopping: How to Survive Black Friday

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The lure of Black Friday is clearly strong. For years, eager
shoppers have waited in chilly mall parking lots for door-busting
sales that start before dawn. Increasingly, stores are moving
those sales earlier and earlier. This year, for example, Walmart
will open its stores at 8 p.m. on Thursday night.

Some people may prefer to continue
picking at pie over late-night or early-morning shopping
sprees, but the allure of a deal appeals mightily to the human
psyche, psychologists say. There are a few tricks you can use to
hold strong against retailer persuasion, however.

"People truly want to get a good deal, and so they might be less
rational … when they can look in the environment and find
different cues that make them think they're getting a good deal,"
Kenneth Manning, a professor of marketing at Colorado State
University,
told LiveScience in 2010. "The decision-making can be
somewhat emotional."

Why we go mad for deals

In fact, limited-time-only deals may appeal to our evolutionary
urge to hoard resources, said Gad Saad, a marketing professor at
Concordia University in Montreal. Conspicuous consumption may
also appeal to the desire to signal our dominance and worthiness
as mates. For example, a 2009 study by Saad found that men who
drove around in fancy Porsches experienced a testosterone surge
over men who test-drove a nondescript sedan.

Deals also appeal to self-esteem, according to work by marketing
professor Peter Darke of York University in Toronto. Darke has
found that a 50-percent-off deal gives people a happiness boost
equal to getting to keep the change on a regular-priced item.
[ 7
Marking Tricks Retailers Use ]

"There's some evidence to suggest that it reflects back on them
as a sort of rational, good, effective, skilled shopper," Drake
told LiveScience in 2010.

It is possible, though, to make rational decisions even amid the
Black Friday mania. Knowing
the tricks retailers use can help. Among these are
limited-time-only sales, which encourage impulse buys. Remember:
Sales abound throughout the entire holiday season. If you don't
get that hot gift now, chances are it'll be available later.

Free gifts are another enticement. Sometimes, people look askance
at sale items, assuming deep discounts must mean something is
wrong. Drake has found that retailers can get around that problem
by offering goods at regular prices, but throwing in freebies. Do
you really need that free make-up case that comes with a $20
purchase? If not, you may want to shop around for a better deal
on the item you really want.

Finally, there's the Christmas spirit. It's not just for cozy
evenings around the fire with family anymore. Retailers use
Christmas decorations, scents and music to put people in the
gift-buying mood.

Lisa Cavanaugh, a consumer psychologist at the University of
Southern California, recommends keeping your goals in mind when
venturing into these
retail wonderlands.

"Having a list, knowing exactly who you're shopping for and what
your budget is for each of those people is really important," she
told LiveScience in 2010. "It's really easy to get swept up in
the craziness that is after-Thanksgiving shopping."